Monday, September 24, 2007

Canna Leaf Monotype

Canna(click image to see detail)

My instructor brought in a very large Canna Leaf from her garden for me to make a monotype with. These prints are 22 x 28 inches. I had to use a full sheet of paper. It was my first time doing so. I had to have other class members help me align the paper to the plate.

At first I didn't want to use the leaf, in fear of making a mistake. In the end I'm really glad I did. It came out so nice. We ran the leaf through the press twice so the juices wouldn't ruin the prints. I ran the first print on newsprint. Then peeled off the leaf leaving the first initial ink on the plate. I really like this method. I love how you see the veins in the leaf. Overall I got three prints from the leaf. With the amount of ink I used, I could have got 5 prints.

I did run into one problem, the paper warped slightly. I'm not sure how to prevent this when drying my prints. It happens often. I place them on a flat surface, yet they warp upward.

3 comments:

Sheri, thanks for your comment on my blog. I couldn't figure out how to email you directly. I have enjoyed reviewing your own blog and saw your comment here about warping prints when drying. This is an older post so by now, with more printing behind you, you may know about taping your prints on boards with wet newsprint. The newsprint dries and pulls the print taut against the board with no rippling. If you want more explanation, email me from my blog at Wishbone Press.

Happy Printing! I love the color contrasts between your three Buddha prints at top of the blog.

About Me

I'm an artist from southeast Michigan. I love many forms of art. My current passion is printmaking. I also love photography and painting. I make my living as a graphic designer for a television station.